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Billing code 29889: PCL surgeryMedicare rate & RVUs

Reports arthroscopically aided repair, augmentation, or reconstruction of the posterior cruciate ligament to address injury-related knee instability.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities63 Medicare services in 2024

Medicare pays $1,132.29 for 29889 nationally in a facility.

Medicare rate · 29889

PCL surgery

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work RVUs
16.97
Total RVUs
33.90
Global days
090

National rate · 2026

$1,132.29

Facility setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 29889 → · Billed by an NP, PA or therapist? →

Medicare allowed amount for participating (non-QP) physicians, before deductible, coinsurance and claim adjustments. Not a patient’s bill or a hospital charge.

On this page 10 sections
  1. Medicare rate
  2. What 29889 covers
  3. By payment locality
  4. Rate map
  5. How it’s calculated
  6. Payment rules
  7. Similar codes
  8. Related codes
  9. Billing questions
  10. Sources

What 29889 covers

An orthopedic surgeon uses arthroscopic visualization to repair or reinforce an injured posterior cruciate ligament (PCL), or reconstruct it when the ligament cannot provide adequate stability. The procedure is typically performed in an operating room for a patient with a PCL injury and persistent knee instability. Arthroscopic assistance means the surgeon uses a scope and instruments through portals while performing the ligament work.

Report this code for the PCL procedure, not for anterior cruciate ligament work or meniscal treatment alone. The operative report should identify the PCL as the treated structure and describe the arthroscopic repair, augmentation, or reconstruction. Medicare assigns a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. When multiple procedures are performed in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard 50% reduction. Bilateral reporting with modifier 50 is paid at 150%. Assistant-at-surgery payment may be made; co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation, and team surgery is not permitted.

This summary was written with AI assistance from CMS physician fee schedule data and checked against the CMS billing rules shown here. Rates on this page come directly from CMS files.

Where 29889 pays more and less

The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.

109 of 109 payment localities

29889 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaUnavailable$1,024.35
Alaska*Unavailable$1,390.48
ArizonaUnavailable$1,101.14
ArkansasUnavailable$1,011.08
AtlantaUnavailable$1,165.35
AustinUnavailable$1,145.48
BakersfieldUnavailable$1,138.62
Baltimore/Surr. CntysUnavailable$1,202.41
BeaumontUnavailable$1,083.69
BrazoriaUnavailable$1,106.29

29889 rates by state

Office rate range in each state. Select a state to see its payment localities.

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Local rates. Clear comparisons.

Hover or focus a tile to see its rate range. Select it to open the state’s fee schedule.

View every state and territory as a table
29889 office rate range by state
State / territoryOffice rate rangeLocalities
AKNo published base rate1
ALNo published base rate1
ARNo published base rate1
AZNo published base rate1
CANo published base rate29
CONo published base rate1
CTNo published base rate1
DCNo published base rate1
DENo published base rate1
FLNo published base rate3
GANo published base rate2
GUNo published base rate1
HINo published base rate1
IANo published base rate1
IDNo published base rate1
ILNo published base rate4
INNo published base rate1
KSNo published base rate1
KYNo published base rate1
LANo published base rate2
MANo published base rate2
MDNo published base rate3
MENo published base rate2
MINo published base rate2
MNNo published base rate1
MONo published base rate3
MSNo published base rate1
MTNo published base rate1
NCNo published base rate1
NDNo published base rate1
NENo published base rate1
NHNo published base rate1
NJNo published base rate2
NMNo published base rate1
NVNo published base rate1
NYNo published base rate5
OHNo published base rate1
OKNo published base rate1
ORNo published base rate2
PANo published base rate2
PRNo published base rate1
RINo published base rate1
SCNo published base rate1
SDNo published base rate1
TNNo published base rate1
TXNo published base rate8
UTNo published base rate1
VANo published base rate2
VINo published base rate1
VTNo published base rate1
WANo published base rate2
WINo published base rate1
WVNo published base rate1
WYNo published base rate1

How the 29889 rate is calculated

Each of 29889’s three RVUs is multiplied by a geographic index (GPCI) for the payment locality, added up, and multiplied by the conversion factor. Drag the indexes or enter a ZIP to see what moves the rate.

How the rate is built · 29889

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work 16.97Practice expense 13.32Malpractice 3.61

33.9000 adjusted RVUs×$33.4009 conversion factor=$1,132.29

All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.

Payment rules and modifiers for 29889

29889 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

CMS payment indicators · 29889

PCL surgery

RuleCMS valueWhat it means
Global period090Major surgery: the day before, the day of, and 90 days after are included.
Multiple procedures2Standard reduction: highest-valued procedure at 100%, others at 50%.
Bilateral (modifier 50)1Bilateral with modifier 50 pays 150% of the fee schedule amount.
Assistant at surgery (80/81/82/AS)2Paid.
Co-surgeons (62)1Permitted with supporting documentation.
Team surgery (66)0Not permitted.
Professional/technical0Physician service: no professional/technical split.
Split (54/55/56)0.10/0.69/0.21Share of the payment for pre-op, the procedure itself, and post-op care.

Global surgery period · 29889

PCL surgery

90-day global period ends

Dec 30, 2026

Covers Sep 30, 2026 through Dec 30, 2026 (92 days, including the day before surgery).

Visit on Oct 31, 2026

Day 30 of the 90-day post-op period: related follow-up care is included in the surgical payment.

  • 24 Unrelated E/M visit by the same physician
  • 79 Unrelated procedure (starts its own global period)
  • 58 Staged, more extensive, or therapy procedure that was planned
  • 78 Unplanned return to the operating room for a related complication
SurgeryVisit
Sep 23, 2026Jan 10, 2027

Pre-op dayGlobal period

What modifiers do to the payment

Modifier 50 · payment effect

With and without the modifier

29889 without 50 · national facility

$1,132.29

PCL surgery

29889-50 · Bilateral: 150%

$1,698.44

Both sides on one line with modifier 50 are paid at 150% of the fee schedule amount (subject to multiple-procedure rules with other procedures).

When to use modifier 50

29889 compared with similar codes

Compare codes

29889 vs 29888 vs 29882 vs 29883: national Medicare rates

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

  • 29889
    PCL surgery · 16.97 wRVU
    —
  • 29888
    ACL surgery · 13.94 wRVU
    —
  • 29882
    Meniscus repair · 9.36 wRVU
    —
  • 29883
    Meniscus repair · 11.48 wRVU
    —

How to choose

29888ACL surgery
Use 29889 for arthroscopically aided PCL repair, augmentation, or reconstruction; use 29888 when the treated cruciate ligament is the ACL.
29882Meniscus repair
Code 29882 reports arthroscopic repair of one meniscus, not repair or reconstruction of the PCL.
29883Meniscus repair
Code 29883 reports arthroscopic repair of both menisci. It does not describe PCL ligament surgery.

Codes related to 29889

Related codes aren’t interchangeable: bill the code that matches the service performed.

Codes related to 29889
CodeHow it relatesNational office range
Same family
29888ACL surgeryArthroscopically aided cruciate-ligament procedure for the ACL rather than the PCL.No office rate
Often billed with
29882Meniscus repairMay accompany PCL surgery when a separate meniscal repair is performed.No office rate
29883Meniscus repairMay accompany PCL surgery when separate medial and lateral meniscal repairs are performed.No office rate
29881Knee meniscectomyMay accompany PCL surgery when a separate medial or lateral meniscectomy is performed.No office rate

29889 billing questions

How is this code different from 29888?

This code is for arthroscopically aided work on the posterior cruciate ligament. Code 29888 is for the corresponding procedure on the anterior cruciate ligament.

Does this code include the arthroscopic access and visualization?

The code describes an arthroscopically aided PCL procedure. Do not report a separate diagnostic arthroscopy for routine visualization of the same knee during that procedure.

Can meniscal surgery be reported during the same session?

A separately performed meniscal repair or meniscectomy may be reported when documented as distinct treatment of a meniscal condition. Same-session multiple procedures are subject to Medicare's multiple procedure reduction.

How should bilateral PCL procedures be reported?

For procedures performed on both knees, report modifier 50; CMS pays the bilateral procedure at 150%.

What documentation supports reporting this code?

Document the PCL injury and the arthroscopically aided repair, augmentation, or reconstruction performed. The operative report should distinguish PCL treatment from ACL or meniscal work.

How are assistant and co-surgeon claims handled?

Assistant-at-surgery payment may be made. Co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation; team surgery is not permitted.

Where these rates come from

FeeBase calculates base physician payments from CMS work, practice-expense and malpractice RVUs, adjusted by each locality’s geographic indexes and the conversion factor. Services without a published rate are labeled, never given a made-up amount. Amounts are Medicare allowed amounts before claim adjustments: not a patient’s bill or a commercial rate.

CMS RVU26D · effective Oct 1, 2026 through the day before Jan 1, 2027

Show the CMS file lines behind this rate
RVUs for 29889PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 3,370 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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